Tank ventilation and cooling system for hybrid vehicles

A deaeration and cooling system for a fuel tank of an internal combustion engine, the deaeration and cooling system comprising:

• an absorption refrigerator configured to cool fuel in the fuel tank, the absorption refrigerator comprising a burner, an evaporator and an exhaust-gas heat exchanger, wherein thermal energy for operating the absorption refrigerator is obtained from the combustion of evaporated fuel, the evaporated fuel being removed from the fuel tank and supplied to the burner of the absorption refrigerator.

A method for operating a deaeration and cooling system, the method comprising:

• providing an absorption refrigerator for cooling fuel in a fuel tank, the absorption refrigerator comprising a burner, an evaporator and an exhaust-gas heat exchanger;
• and
• selecting a source of thermal energy for the absorption refrigerator based on an state of an internal combustion engine including selecting the use of thermal energy from the combustion of gaseous fuel being able when the internal combustion engine is in an idle state, or selecting the use of thermal energy from waste heat of the internal combustion engine during the operation of the internal combustion engine, with a preference of selecting the use of waste heat.